Soul of the Sea
by Eternal Outsider
Summary: It's been two years and all that Elizabeth thought she ever wanted or needed really wasn't what she had. Depressed from only memories of her past she fears there is no way out. But things from her past come back with the hope of a second chance.
1. Positive Negativity

The setting sun glittered beautiful colors of orange and reds across the still mass of sea. Elizabeth looked out at it and couldn't help but feel empty. It brought her joy at times, but she just couldn't find the happiness she longed for. William was gone out to serve his duty as Captain of _The Flying Dutchman._ He had already been gone two years and already it was bearing down on her, to know he was so close and yet so far. He would stay out at sea never aging, only to come back to her 10 years older every time. She wiped a tear that had fallen and glanced at the crib placed by the window.

The baby inside slept soundly and smiled in it's sleep. As she stared at the baby she knew was William's, she wished desperately that it wasn't. Her mind kept wandering back to all that she left behind, all that could have been, all that almost was.

Jack.

The look in his eyes when she said goodbye, when she chained him to the mast to save herself haunted her very soul. He acted as if a weight was lifted off of his shoulders when she said goodbye, and she couldn't help feeling wounded. Her soul was buried in deep regret, as she realized what she thought she wanted really wasn't.

She wondered where he was, what he was doing, if he thought of her. She hoped he was alive and well, but she knew Captain Jack Sparrow knew how to take care of himself.

She wished she could stop thinking of him, but something inside of her wouldn't let him go. Shivers ran up her spine at the thought of seeing him again, and it made her feel guilty. The baby began to cry and Elizabeth stood up and wiped her eyes of tears and picked the baby up gently.

"Shh, it's alright. Mum's here, don't cry." She whispered into the baby's ear as he began to calm down. She felt pathetic for wanting something other than what she had, it felt like spitting on everything she devoted her life to. And she still couldn't bring herself to think her life was fulfilled, for she knew it wasn't.

She inhaled the baby's delicate scent as she rocked him and her eyes welled with tears.

How could you devote your life to something that wasn't there? She felt alone, empty and depressed, and she knew this was no way to live. She had to be there for her child.

Laying the baby gently down in the crib she walked back out on the porch and glanced back out to the sea. Her tears had dried upon her face and told her story plainly. She hated feeling broken, and kept telling herself she needed Will, when in fact Jack was the one who stole her every thought. But he had no reason to love her. She had betrayed him time and again.

As she looked away and turned to go inside, something in the remaining light on the sea caught her attention. It was the makings of a ship, and as it came closer she realized that this was no ordinary ship. Her heart pounded as her breath caught in her throat. She ran into the house and out to the beach before stopping where the waves covered her feet and squinted to see a little better. Just before the remaining sunlight faded she caught a glimpse of the color of the sails and stood there shocked, but her face told another story.

Could this be real?

* * *

_A/N: It's good to be back. I really missed writing for the POtC, and I hope you guys like this one. More to come soon!  
_


	2. An Interesting Reunion of Sorts

As the ship came closer Elizabeth couldn't ignore the furious pounding her heart was doing. As she ran into port the color of the sails became clearer, and her heart threatened to burst from her chest the very moment the ship stopped.

No other pirate or otherwise had ever flown black sails as it had been made Jack's trademark. Images of the past flashed though her mind making her shiver in excitement and fear.

Was she sure of what she expected?

Did Jack remember her?

Would he hate her for her choice?

All of this ran through her mind and more as she walked down towards the shore and let the cool water wash over her feet. She could imagine Jack and his arrogant and cocky smile, his warm chocolate brown eyes that she easily got lost in. Her heart fluttered in excitement at the thought of seeing him again, but all the while she was somewhat ashamed to have feelings like this. She was a married women, pledged to William Turner lawfully and physically, therefore she no longer had the room for her thoughts to wander to other men.

_Especially_ men of Captain Jack Sparrow's stature.

Being mentally pledged to William was flickering dimly as the thought of Jack became more dominate. She breathed in deep the salty air of the sea that surrounded her, and she realized that she did long to be on the sea again. She wasn't sure what to do, and she didn't know what to expect.

She longed to run into port and hug the life out of Jack as he stepped off of _the Pearl_, but the 'married' part of her brain once again took the reigns. Inner wars were all to familiar to her, but this seemed to be the strongest and she hated having the audacity to be torn over something almost trivial.

Blinking a few times to try and ward off the threat of tears she started back off to her home and mentally begged herself not to look back at the ship as it came closer.

* * *

Jack smiled to himself knowing exactly why he had come to this particular port. Knowing exactly who he had come to this particular port to see. Knowing that it had been two long years of suppressing certain desires that were forbidden to him and the lass who his desires were geared towards. His heart seemed to skip a beat as he thought of her smiling face, her welcoming arms.

He had a twinge of doubt flutter through him as he thought back to her marriage to that eunuch who was now pledged as captain of the formerly damned, newly redeemed, _Flying Dutchman. _What if she was solely pledged to William? He nearly turned his nose up at that preposterous thought. After all she needed a little excersize here and there to keep such a fine body like hers fit.

He also liked to entertain the idea that she herself still had feelings for him, if there ever were any. He was quite sure most of the time though. After all as he remembered during their past engagements, he had caught her gaze on more than one occasion and watched with amusement as she turned away flustered and embarrassed that she'd been caught staring.

How did dear William's other forced commitment fair for her? He knew a human being needed companionship, not just mental but more so physical, for more than just _one_ day, every _ten_ years. Jack grimaced involuntarily as he thought of her having to live alone, so young and so beautiful with only the idea of being with her husband.

If she was _that _in love with William to wait for him, and him only, then his whole reason for coming here would have been a total waste.

He surely hoped not as the desire to see Elizabeth again burned deep within him. He wondered if she knew she had such a profound effect on him that not many other women could say the same of. He also wondered if she ever thought about him, desired to see him. One did not simply forget Captain Jack Sparrow and his charm, or so he liked to think. Jumping down from the Pearl, he darted into the street and made his way through the hustling and bustling crowd unnoticed. He blended in easily, and for which he was grateful.

To slide through and blend in with these folks looking like he did, had to mean no one watched for pirates as closely as they used to. He thought it would also better his chances if he kept the pirate brand on his wrist hidden as well. He tipped his hat politely as he passed by and grinned wickedly at his own cleverness.

Many of the women around the street had striking similarities to the way Elizabeth used to dress while just known as 'The Governor's Daughter'. There was also the occasional wench, whore, or otherwise littering the streets and Jack found himself looking through the crowd just in case Elizabeth was there. He could have probably spotted her from a mile away but he didn't see her as part of him had hoped he would.

He was undoubtedly sure he would have to ask around to find her exact location but he didn't want to risk his identity just yet. He wasn't one for grand entrances, he was more for grand exits and come hell or high water, he planned on getting Elizabeth this time around.

* * *

Willpower was something Elizabeth had seemed to pick up throughout the years and she was convinced she needed it just to survive. She brushed past people, teary eyed, not stopping to glance at anyone. She'd get scents of multiple perfumes and colognes.

All of the scents together made her stomach turn. At times they were nearly indistinguishable but they were all different none the less. The only way she could distinguish between what was a woman's perfume and a man's cologne was if she looked at the person from which the certain smell was coming from.

She kept pushing forward trying to ignore the noise and smells and kept her gaze on the ground before colliding harshly with a passerby. The individual crashed to the ground in a heap and Elizabeth yelped in surprise as she fell backwards.

Embarrassed, Elizabeth attempted to scramble away, trying to avoid looking at the person she just crashed into. She didn't get a chance to mumble a meaningless apology to whoever she had run into before a disturbingly familiar masculine scent surrounded her. She turned around with her back to the individual trying to ignore the coldness that seemed to creep into her being.

"Elizabeth Turner, is tha' yeh?" Her pure soul seemed to ice over at the very moment that familiar rough voice reached her ears. What in the nine circles of hell was he doing in an upstanding port like this one? She though that Tourtuga was the nasty, dirty, port where all of the nasty, dirty, black-hearted pirates go to eat drink and be merry, not here in the east where well educated people lived.

Did she really want to turn around and face this person that she knew was before her? A person she was sure she never thought she'd see again, better yet, someone she was sure she never _wanted _to see again. How was it he just seemed to show up when Jack had just made port? She'd never seen nor heard him around before now, so what did this cunning bastard have up his sleeve this time?

It was a million in one chance that this man was here, where she now lived, where she was sure had fate been kinder, he wouldn't have found her here, and could have lived in blissful ignorance. And yet here he was, back in her path and life, and back in Jack's path. Now she felt like a complete dunce for walking away from port as the_ Pearl _came in, and she wished that she had Jack nearby, now more than ever.

She turned around slowly and before her was none other than Hector Barbossa, dressed in a fine tailored suit looking nothing like his former self. Had it not been for his weather worn face and auburn curly beard, he would have been totally unrecognizable. He had an expensive looking, feathered hat upon his head that gave a little incentive from Barbossa's former taste in apparel. He grinned politely and stood straight before bowing, making Elizabeth resist the urge to roll her eyes.

"Evenin' Mrs. Turner. Yer as beautiful as ever."

This was going to turn out to be an _unwanted_, interesting reunion of sorts...


	3. Familiarities

**A/N: I wanted to thank all of those who have left reviews, favorited, and put this story on alerts. I'm honored that you guys like this story. This is where we have some dialogue and my other favorite character, the lovely Hector Barbossa entering the picture.  
**

* * *

Barbossa eyed her and grinned.

"Been a good long while since I've seen your pretty face, and as I look at ye now, it reminds me of how much I missed it." Barbossa took a step towards Elizabeth and chuckled lightly as she in turn took a step back. She wore a look of repulsion as it seemed Barbossa's smile seemed to take on a more sadistic look in mere seconds before falling back into a friendly smile once again.

"There be no need for you to be wary of me Mrs. Turner. I only offer my greetings towards you after such a long absence." He grabbed her hand quickly before she could react and brought it to his lips kissing it softly.

"I mean no offense or harm, I swear on me life." He said stoically while putting his other hand over his heart. She snatched her hand from his grasp and took a few more steps back. He glared at her, angered slightly from her abrupt rudeness and stood back to his full height.

"What brings you here of all places Barbossa? Surely there are more suitable ports that want your company. I believe this port is not as welcoming of pirates as say, Tortuga?" Elizabeth glared steadily at Barbossa, trying to ignore the equally unnerving glare he gave her. He broke the suddenly ice cold silence and cleared his throat before smiling at her.

"I'll not be associating myself with the likes of piratin' again any time soon Lass, if I can help it. My time has come to put all of it aside and take more care of meself and my standin' in this society. Aside from all that, Jack had stolen the _Pearl_ a few months back, all while we were floating just off shore in Tortuga." Elizabeth nodded, knowing how often the Pearl had usually been thrown up for grabs.

"I don't have the time, resources or energy to play this never endin' cat an' mouse game any longer. Whether Jack or myself like it or not, _The Black Pearl_ will have to be retired. Pirating is becomin' more an' more dangerous. I'd rather have her sold off and made of good use, than be blown to smithereens. I'll just leave it at that fer the time being, Miss." He glanced off somewhere unknown and Elizabeth couldn't help but feel there was more to Barbossa's reason for being here than he was letting on. Should she bring up the fact that Jack was here in this port with _The Black Pearl_, or play along with Barbossa and let him find out on his own, if he didn't already know?

She kept her gaze on him, uncertain if she should trust anything that the man before her had to say. She'd never heard a story where a pirate had given up _being_ a pirate. He was a pirate lord from what she had learned in Shipwreck Cove. The fact he stated, that pirating had become _more_ dangerous, and had always been, never stopped any of them before. What would drive him to give up such a position? Had something scared Hector Barbossa, the man so evil that supposedly, Hell itself had spit him back out?

"Are ye doubting somethin' I said Mrs. Turner, cause from the look on yer face, I'd say your thoughts of me lying me weaselly black 'eart out could be read right out like reading from a book. I assure ye I have nothin' te lie about." Barbossa grinned as Elizabeth shot daggers at him his comment. Her knuckles turned white as she clinched her fists tightly, seething in quickly growing rage.

"I'm sincerely sorry about your loss of the Pearl, _Mr_. Barbossa and the fact that you had to give up such a degrading job, to live here where being educated is welcome. But perhaps it would be best we end this right here and now before I find myself acting very unladylike, and violent, mind you. You can act and pretend like we were friends and that you know me personally, but _I assure you_, you don't. And we never were what you would call _'friends_'!" She stepped an inch closer to the 'former' pirate and glared up at him, letting him take note of how angry she was.

"Who said anythin' about wanting to be _friends_?" He eyed her playfully, but Elizabeth saw it as another sadistic move and gritted her teeth at his audacity.

_Is that all he heard out of the entirety of what I just said?_ Elizabeth thought miserably.

He merely grinned again as he saw the hatred flash behind her eyes and increase ten fold. She pointed an accusing finger mere inches from his face, loosing anything she was about to say after seeing an amused smirk on his face. Huffing madly at the thought of him enjoying seeing her in such a flustered and truly uncalled for state, she started off in the direction of her house, before another playful, yet annoying comment from Barbossa flew her way.

"Such a feisty young lass aren't ye, gettin' so worked up over nothin'? I was tryin' to be gentlemanly while I've seen boar hogs that were more polite than you!"

She composed herself and banished the desire to beat the older man more senseless than he already was, and she couldn't recall being so angry at someone as she was at Barbossa. As she thought about what he just said and tried to reason while storming away, Barbossa really hadn't done anything to make her angry.

He had been harmlessly flirting with her, something she'd been acquainted with more than once in her lifetime, and the more she thought about it, all of her anger seemed to vanish, little by little.

He had, in fact, been something of a friend as she recalled him being with her in Singapore, and quickly throwing off Tai Huang's notion of her being alone. She remembered being very grateful that he was a familiar face and had been there at that moment. As she willed herself not to look back at Barbossa, she couldn't help the small smirk that graced her lips.

Barbossa stared at her retreating form and smiled to himself, knowing he'd gotten to her, in more ways than one. Somewhere, deep inside of him, he was glad to see her again, once thinking he never would. He knew about her marriage to _The Flying Dutchman's_ immortal Captain, since he was the one who had married them. Though he couldn't quite bring himself to reason or justify the kind of a toll it must have taken on Elizabeth to be committed to William solely, or what might happen if Will ever found out otherwise, save become another Davy Jones. He would be forever ageless, and Elizabeth, the poor lass, would age continuously, just like every other _mortal_.

How was that fair?

Deciding that Elizabeth needed some time to herself, and refraining from pursuing her at the moment, he walked off in the direction of his own residence. He was sure that this wouldn't be their last meeting as he didn't plan on it being so.

* * *

Finally reaching her house she immediately checked on her son, who was sleeping soundly showing no signs of have been disturbed at all. She leaned up against the door as she closed it and exhaled loudly a breath she hadn't been aware she was holding. Was it fate that she'd seen _The Black Pearl_, with Jack undoubtedly on board as it wasn't in anyone's else's possession, after hoping and praying that he would come back, and then to have a literal run in with it's former and part co-captain, Barbossa?

She did realize she'd acted rashly during her 'reunion' with Barbossa and found herself momentarily hoping he didn't think less of her. She almost wanted to laugh at the thoughts that ran through her head at that moment. Did she really care what Barbossa thought of her?

As much as she wanted to deny that notion, it was undeniably and entirely true.

She glanced out of the window trying to clear her mind and looked out to the harbor. She felt comforted momentarily by the Black Pearls' presence and she couldn't explain exactly why or how, just the fact of it's familiarity made her feel restful. She understood on a small level that it could be very dangerous for Jack to keep his ship there, but just as long as the colors didn't get hoisted, he would hopefully be safe.

She was suddenly snapped out of her thoughts as a candle flickered as if someone had blown, or moved nearby. She hadn't lit them all and was unequivocally wishing she had in order to see better. No windows were open, so surely it hadn't been the wind. She didn't make any sudden movements but she reached slowly for the knife she used to open letters and slid it into the folds of her dress. She heard a floorboard creak and she jumped slightly, squinting trying to see against the dimness. She glanced over at her sleeping son and vowed with her soul to protect him if anybody was in here.

She gathered up the courage to speak and walked closer to the direction she'd seen the candle flicker.

"If there is anyone in my house, unannounced, unwelcome and unwanted, please show yourself before I find the need to use a knife that I have nearby. I've fought pirates before, so if you're up for a challenge I'll be grateful to oblige. And I assure you, myself a compassionate woman or not, you will not be likely to come out of this alive." Elizabeth threatened, meaning every word. She never once had anyone willing to break into her house since she moved here, why the sudden interest to start now?

Her heart nearly stopped as she saw a dark figure walk closer to her, and she gripped the knife tightly, preparing to use it quickly, if necessary. In the dim light she could see that the figure was tall and could have easily overpowered her if given the chance. But the individual elected to stay hidden in the shadows, with unbeknownst to her, a wide golden grin on his face.

* * *

**A/N #2: Cliffhanger.** I'm so glad I decided to revive this story as I was sure I wouldn't get it very far in the beginning with not much to go on for a plot, but now I can happily say, it's taken on a mind of it's own. Thank you for reading, and there will be more up soon. - Westerncat


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